personal statement essay prompts

Personal Statement

Personal Statement Prompts

Personal Statement Prompts: Topics & Ideas for Students

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Published on: Apr 7, 2021

Last updated on: Jan 30, 2024

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Crafting a compelling personal statement is a crucial step for students seeking admission to educational institutions. However, the task of selecting the right topic or idea to focus on can often be a daunting challenge. 

To help students navigate this process, we have compiled a list of 40+ personal statement prompts, covering a wide range of topics.

In this blog, we will explore these prompts and provide valuable insights to inspire and guide students in writing their personal statements. 

Let's dive into this collection of personal statement prompts and unlock your potential for crafting a standout personal statement.

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Common App Personal Statement Prompts 2024-2025

Here are the most common personal statement prompts along with tips on how to address these prompts! 

1. Reflect on a significant experience or achievement and its impact on you:

• Choose an experience or achievement that has had a profound influence on your personal growth or perspective.
• Clearly describe the experience and explain how it has shaped your values, goals, or character.
• Reflect on the lessons learned and the lasting impact it has had on your life.

2. Describe a challenge or obstacle you have faced and how it has shaped you:

• Select a challenge that showcases your resilience, determination, or problem-solving skills.
• Discuss the specific actions you took to overcome the obstacle and the lessons learned from the experience.
• Emphasize how the challenge has contributed to your personal growth, maturity, or changed perspective.

3. Discuss a problem you'd like to solve or a global issue you find important. Explain its significance to you:

• Identify a problem or global issue that genuinely matters to you and aligns with your interests or values.
• Clearly articulate why this problem or issue is significant and what motivates you to address it.
• Describe any steps you have taken or plan to take to make a positive impact in relation to this problem or issue.

4. Share an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others:

• Highlight a specific accomplishment, event, or realization that had a transformative effect on your personal development.
• Explain how this experience challenged your beliefs, assumptions, or perspectives.
• Reflect on how this newfound understanding has influenced your interactions with others or your future aspirations.

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College Personal Statement Prompts

In order to provide a direction, the following are some of the prompts to write an exceptional personal statement for college:

• Provide an explanation of your favorite film or book in which the character made an important and life-changing decision. Shed light and your opinion on the character’s decision and its significance.
• Share a story or an incident that reflects your true personality and the type of person you really are.
• If you can travel through time, in which historical period you will you go and why?
• Write about a personality who admires you the most. Share the reasons and significance of admiration.

Personal Statement Prompts for Graduate Schools

Following personal statement prompts can be used when applying for a reputable graduate school:

• Discuss a topic, idea, or concept that you find is interesting and worth sharing. Present different reasons that make the idea interesting.
• Talk about a problem you solved or a problem solved by someone that inspired you. The problem can be of any nature. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, or an ethical dilemma. Anything that is of personal importance no matter how small or big it is, explain the significance and measures you took.
• Students have a background identity, interest, or talent that differentiates them from other people. Discuss those elements sharing interesting details.

Common App Personal Statement Prompts 2024

The common app personal statement prompt demands the applicant to share a story. Colleges often require students to submit a personal statement along with their documents to examine their creative skills. Moreover, a personal statement also provides a chance to impress the committee with your personality, qualities, and knowledge.

The following are some prompts for your common app personal statement. Select one and draft an effective piece.

• The lessons and consequences of the difficulties we encounter can be fundamental to overall success in life. Portray the time you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. Share what did you learn from the experience.
• Narrate a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What factors provoked you to speak up or change your mind, and what were the outcomes?
• Discuss an accomplishment event or realization that contributed to personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

UC Personal Statement Prompts

The UC application can be tricky. In this, students are required to draft 4 essays out of 8 provided prompts. Each essay that you draft not only asks for the answer of the prompt but also an interesting incident or story.

Below are some examples of personal statement prompts for your UC and CSU applications:

• Describe your greatest skill or talent that differentiates you from other applicants. How did that particular skill develop over time? Perks you received because of having that skill or talent.
• Share your leadership experiences that influenced your team positively. What steps did you take to resolve disputes?
• Talk about the challenges you faced in your life and the measures you took to survive them. How the challenge or difficulty influenced you?

Stanford Personal Statement Prompts

Here are a few prompts that you can chose to write on: 

• Reflect on an experience or achievement that has had a significant impact on your life. How did this experience shape your perspective, values, or future goals? 
• Describe a time when you encountered a challenge or faced adversity. How did you handle the situation and what did you learn from it? How has this experience influenced your personal growth and resilience? 
• Stanford students possess an intellectual vitality. What excites you about learning? Share a specific example or project that demonstrates your curiosity, passion, or willingness to take intellectual risks. 
• Stanford's motto is "The wind of freedom blows." Reflect on a time when you had to make a difficult decision or take a stand for something you believe in. How did you navigate this situation, and what did you learn about yourself and your values? 

Law School Personal Statement Prompts

Students are to write personal statements when applying for law schools as well. This provides them with an opportunity to inspire the law admission committee. Sharing ideas like who you actually are and what you are passionate about.

The following are some good prompt examples for your law school personal statements:

• Write about the law school you are applying to. Share why did you choose that specific law school and how you are a perfect choice for it. Moreover, provide personal, professional, and academic reasons for studying in law school. Share your goals and objectives as well.
• Share your proudest personal achievement and details about how you felt about it. Also, state how you achieved the goals. The accomplishment can be of any sort. Just discuss how the achievement led to personal growth and showcase your qualities.
• Introduce yourself to the law admission committee. State details such as what made you, who you are, and what makes you unique from others.

University of Chicago Personal Statement Prompts

Here are four brief personal statement prompts for the University of Chicago:

• How does UChicago satisfy your desire for a unique learning experience, community, and future?
• Share a few of your favorite books, films, or artists that inspire you.
• What excites you about your intended field of study, and how will UChicago fulfill your academic interests?
• Pose a thought-provoking question or choose a past prompt to showcase your originality and creativity.

Personal Statement Prompts medical schools 

Here are four personal statement prompts commonly used by medical schools:

• Reflect on a personal experience that motivated your decision to pursue a career in medicine.
• Describe a challenging situation you faced in a healthcare setting. How did you navigate this situation, and what did you learn from it?
• Medical schools seek applicants with a strong sense of empathy and cultural competency. Share an experience in which you demonstrated empathy and understanding toward a patient from a different background or culture. 
• Discuss a healthcare or medical research project you were involved in. How did this experience contribute to your understanding of scientific inquiry, evidence-based practice, and the importance of research in advancing medical knowledge?

CUNY  Personal Statement Prompts

Here are a few personal statement prompts for City of New York University. Have a look at them! 

• Reflect on a significant personal experience or achievement that has shaped your educational journey and goals. How has this experience influenced your decision to pursue higher education at CUNY?
• Describe a time when you faced a challenge or obstacle in your academic or personal life. How did you overcome it, and what did you learn from the experience? How will this resilience contribute to your success at CUNY?
• CUNY prides itself on its diverse student body and inclusive community. How have your experiences with diversity, equity, and inclusion shaped your perspective and prepared you to contribute to the diverse campus culture at CUNY?
• CUNY values community engagement and social responsibility. Describe a community service project or involvement that has had a meaningful impact on your personal growth and understanding of social issues. 

Answering Personal Statement Prompts - Example

In order to address the prompts professionally, it is advised to go through a plethora of interesting personal statement prompts. This is to get an idea about the overall structure and formation of your personal statement.

The expert personal statement writers of CollegeEssay.org have provided an example of a strong personal essay. Read the sample provided to learn who to answer the prompt in the best possible way.

Sample Personal Statement

Personal Statement Example for Jobs

Here's an example of a personal statement for a job application:

Following the sample provided will let you draft a perfectly structured personal statement. Impress the admission committee with your college essay and get an opportunity to study in your dream college.

Writing an impressive and impactful personal statement can be really daunting. If you are scared and cannot risk your chance, get help for your college essay from our AI essay writer .

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• Applying to graduate school
• How to Write Your Personal Statement | Strategies & Examples

How to Write Your Personal Statement | Strategies & Examples

Published on February 12, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on July 3, 2023.

A personal statement is a short essay of around 500–1,000 words, in which you tell a compelling story about who you are, what drives you, and why you’re applying.

To write a successful personal statement for a graduate school application , don’t just summarize your experience; instead, craft a focused narrative in your own voice. Aim to demonstrate three things:

• Your personality: what are your interests, values, and motivations?
• Your talents: what can you bring to the program?
• Your goals: what do you hope the program will do for you?

This article guides you through some winning strategies to build a strong, well-structured personal statement for a master’s or PhD application. You can download the full examples below.

Urban Planning Psychology History

Table of contents

Getting started with your personal statement, the introduction: start with an attention-grabbing opening, the main body: craft your narrative, the conclusion: look ahead, revising, editing, and proofreading your personal statement, frequently asked questions, other interesting articles.

Before you start writing, the first step is to understand exactly what’s expected of you. If the application gives you a question or prompt for your personal statement, the most important thing is to respond to it directly.

For example, you might be asked to focus on the development of your personal identity; challenges you have faced in your life; or your career motivations. This will shape your focus and emphasis—but you still need to find your own unique approach to answering it.

There’s no universal template for a personal statement; it’s your chance to be creative and let your own voice shine through. But there are strategies you can use to build a compelling, well-structured story.

The first paragraph of your personal statement should set the tone and lead smoothly into the story you want to tell.

Strategy 1: Open with a concrete scene

An effective way to catch the reader’s attention is to set up a scene that illustrates something about your character and interests. If you’re stuck, try thinking about:

• A personal experience that changed your perspective
• A story from your family’s history
• A memorable teacher or learning experience
• An unusual or unexpected encounter

To write an effective scene, try to go beyond straightforward description; start with an intriguing sentence that pulls the reader in, and give concrete details to create a convincing atmosphere.

Strategy 2: Open with your motivations

To emphasize your enthusiasm and commitment, you can start by explaining your interest in the subject you want to study or the career path you want to follow.

Just stating that it interests you isn’t enough: first, you need to figure out why you’re interested in this field:

• Is it a longstanding passion or a recent discovery?
• Does it come naturally or have you had to work hard at it?
• How does it fit into the rest of your life?
• What do you think it contributes to society?

Tips for the introduction

• Don’t start on a cliche: avoid phrases like “Ever since I was a child…” or “For as long as I can remember…”
• Do save the introduction for last. If you’re struggling to come up with a strong opening, leave it aside, and note down any interesting ideas that occur to you as you write the rest of the personal statement.

Once you’ve set up the main themes of your personal statement, you’ll delve into more detail about your experiences and motivations.

To structure the body of your personal statement, there are various strategies you can use.

Strategy 1: Describe your development over time

One of the simplest strategies is to give a chronological overview of key experiences that have led you to apply for graduate school.

• What first sparked your interest in the field?
• Which classes, assignments, classmates, internships, or other activities helped you develop your knowledge and skills?
• Where do you want to go next? How does this program fit into your future plans?

Don’t try to include absolutely everything you’ve done—pick out highlights that are relevant to your application. Aim to craft a compelling narrative that shows how you’ve changed and actively developed yourself.

My interest in psychology was first sparked early in my high school career. Though somewhat scientifically inclined, I found that what interested me most was not the equations we learned about in physics and chemistry, but the motivations and perceptions of my fellow students, and the subtle social dynamics that I observed inside and outside the classroom. I wanted to learn how our identities, beliefs, and behaviours are shaped through our interactions with others, so I decided to major in Social Psychology. My undergraduate studies deepened my understanding of, and fascination with, the interplay between an individual mind and its social context.During my studies, I acquired a solid foundation of knowledge about concepts like social influence and group dynamics, but I also took classes on various topics not strictly related to my major. I was particularly interested in how other fields intersect with psychology—the classes I took on media studies, biology, and literature all enhanced my understanding of psychological concepts by providing different lenses through which to look at the issues involved.

Strategy 2: Own your challenges and obstacles

If your path to graduate school hasn’t been easy or straightforward, you can turn this into a strength, and structure your personal statement as a story of overcoming obstacles.

• Is your social, cultural or economic background underrepresented in the field? Show how your experiences will contribute a unique perspective.
• Do you have gaps in your resume or lower-than-ideal grades? Explain the challenges you faced and how you dealt with them.

Don’t focus too heavily on negatives, but use them to highlight your positive qualities. Resilience, resourcefulness and perseverance make you a promising graduate school candidate.

Growing up working class, urban decay becomes depressingly familiar. The sight of a row of abandoned houses does not surprise me, but it continues to bother me. Since high school, I have been determined to pursue a career in urban planning. While people of my background experience the consequences of urban planning decisions first-hand, we are underrepresented in the field itself. Ironically, given my motivation, my economic background has made my studies challenging. I was fortunate enough to be awarded a scholarship for my undergraduate studies, but after graduation I took jobs in unrelated fields to help support my parents. In the three years since, I have not lost my ambition. Now I am keen to resume my studies, and I believe I can bring an invaluable perspective to the table: that of the people most impacted by the decisions of urban planners.

Strategy 3: Demonstrate your knowledge of the field

Especially if you’re applying for a PhD or another research-focused program, it’s a good idea to show your familiarity with the subject and the department. Your personal statement can focus on the area you want to specialize in and reflect on why it matters to you.

• Reflect on the topics or themes that you’ve focused on in your studies. What draws you to them?
• Discuss any academic achievements, influential teachers, or other highlights of your education.
• Talk about the questions you’d like to explore in your research and why you think they’re important.

The personal statement isn’t a research proposal , so don’t go overboard on detail—but it’s a great opportunity to show your enthusiasm for the field and your capacity for original thinking.

In applying for this research program, my intention is to build on the multidisciplinary approach I have taken in my studies so far, combining knowledge from disparate fields of study to better understand psychological concepts and issues. The Media Psychology program stands out to me as the perfect environment for this kind of research, given its researchers’ openness to collaboration across diverse fields. I am impressed by the department’s innovative interdisciplinary projects that focus on the shifting landscape of media and technology, and I hope that my own work can follow a similarly trailblazing approach. More specifically, I want to develop my understanding of the intersection of psychology and media studies, and explore how media psychology theories and methods might be applied to neurodivergent minds. I am interested not only in media psychology but also in psychological disorders, and how the two interact. This is something I touched on during my undergraduate studies and that I’m excited to delve into further.

Strategy 4: Discuss your professional ambitions

Especially if you’re applying for a more professionally-oriented program (such as an MBA), it’s a good idea to focus on concrete goals and how the program will help you achieve them.

• If your career is just getting started, show how your character is suited to the field, and explain how graduate school will help you develop your talents.
• If you have already worked in the profession, show what you’ve achieved so far, and explain how the program will allow you to take the next step.
• If you are planning a career change, explain what has driven this decision and how your existing experience will help you succeed.

Don’t just state the position you want to achieve. You should demonstrate that you’ve put plenty of thought into your career plans and show why you’re well-suited to this profession.

One thing that fascinated me about the field during my undergraduate studies was the sheer number of different elements whose interactions constitute a person’s experience of an urban environment. Any number of factors could transform the scene I described at the beginning: What if there were no bus route? Better community outreach in the neighborhood? Worse law enforcement? More or fewer jobs available in the area? Some of these factors are out of the hands of an urban planner, but without taking them all into consideration, the planner has an incomplete picture of their task. Through further study I hope to develop my understanding of how these disparate elements combine and interact to create the urban environment. I am interested in the social, psychological and political effects our surroundings have on our lives. My studies will allow me to work on projects directly affecting the kinds of working-class urban communities I know well. I believe I can bring my own experiences, as well as my education, to bear upon the problem of improving infrastructure and quality of life in these communities.

Tips for the main body

• Don’t rehash your resume by trying to summarize everything you’ve done so far; the personal statement isn’t about listing your academic or professional experience, but about reflecting, evaluating, and relating it to broader themes.
• Do make your statements into stories: Instead of saying you’re hard-working and self-motivated, write about your internship where you took the initiative to start a new project. Instead of saying you’ve always loved reading, reflect on a novel or poem that changed your perspective.

Your conclusion should bring the focus back to the program and what you hope to get out of it, whether that’s developing practical skills, exploring intellectual questions, or both.

Emphasize the fit with your specific interests, showing why this program would be the best way to achieve your aims.

Strategy 1: What do you want to know?

If you’re applying for a more academic or research-focused program, end on a note of curiosity: what do you hope to learn, and why do you think this is the best place to learn it?

If there are specific classes or faculty members that you’re excited to learn from, this is the place to express your enthusiasm.

Strategy 2: What do you want to do?

If you’re applying for a program that focuses more on professional training, your conclusion can look to your career aspirations: what role do you want to play in society, and why is this program the best choice to help you get there?

Tips for the conclusion

• Don’t summarize what you’ve already said. You have limited space in a personal statement, so use it wisely!
• Do think bigger than yourself: try to express how your individual aspirations relate to your local community, your academic field, or society more broadly. It’s not just about what you’ll get out of graduate school, but about what you’ll be able to give back.

You’ll be expected to do a lot of writing in graduate school, so make a good first impression: leave yourself plenty of time to revise and polish the text.

Your style doesn’t have to be as formal as other kinds of academic writing, but it should be clear, direct and coherent. Make sure that each paragraph flows smoothly from the last, using topic sentences and transitions to create clear connections between each part.

Don’t be afraid to rewrite and restructure as much as necessary. Since you have a lot of freedom in the structure of a personal statement, you can experiment and move information around to see what works best.

Finally, it’s essential to carefully proofread your personal statement and fix any language errors. Before you submit your application, consider investing in professional personal statement editing . For $150, you have the peace of mind that your personal statement is grammatically correct, strong in term of your arguments, and free of awkward mistakes.

A statement of purpose is usually more formal, focusing on your academic or professional goals. It shouldn’t include anything that isn’t directly relevant to the application.

A personal statement can often be more creative. It might tell a story that isn’t directly related to the application, but that shows something about your personality, values, and motivations.

However, both types of document have the same overall goal: to demonstrate your potential as a graduate student and s how why you’re a great match for the program.

The typical length of a personal statement for graduate school applications is between 500 and 1,000 words.

Different programs have different requirements, so always check if there’s a minimum or maximum length and stick to the guidelines. If there is no recommended word count, aim for no more than 1-2 pages.

If you’re applying to multiple graduate school programs, you should tailor your personal statement to each application.

Some applications provide a prompt or question. In this case, you might have to write a new personal statement from scratch: the most important task is to respond to what you have been asked.

If there’s no prompt or guidelines, you can re-use the same idea for your personal statement – but change the details wherever relevant, making sure to emphasize why you’re applying to this specific program.

If the application also includes other essays, such as a statement of purpose , you might have to revise your personal statement to avoid repeating the same information.

If you want to know more about college essays , academic writing , and AI tools , make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations, examples, and quizzes.

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Home » Resources » Personal Statement Essay Prompts

Personal Statement Essay Prompts

• By Sheila A.
• March 1, 2023

High school students rely on Common App —a user-friendly online application form—to apply to more than 1,000 member colleges worldwide. They populate their Common App profiles with everything from academic coursework to extracurriculars , adding colleges to their list, gathering requirements, and submitting applications from one centralized digital location. 

Each year, Common App provides a series of personal essay prompts that students can use to demonstrate their values, personality, and intellectual maturity; prove their ability to communicate complex ideas; and leave a lasting impression on the college admissions committee. 

Here are the Common App personal essay prompts for 2023-2024 and some ideas for how to start thinking about them:

Common App Personal Essay Prompts for 2023-2024 

While some of these prompts may seem more limiting than others, in truth, they are all fairly open to your interpretation. That said, don’t push it! Keep the broad topic in mind and don’t stray too far from it. Also, remember the purpose of your essay: you need to demonstrate some crucial aspects of your personality, maturity, and intellect while telling an interesting story about yourself.

Here are the Common App prompts for 2023-2024 and some ideas for how to start thinking about 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.

Is there something you mentioned on your application that is central to your identity, on which you would like to elaborate? Is there something that you want to tell admissions officers that did not fit anywhere else on your application? Here is your chance!

Is your identity strongly shaped by your family structure, a hobby, a sport, an illness, or a transition? What is the story and how did it affect you? Tell admissions officers about it in a way that shows your best self. How does it make you someone college admissions officers want on their campus?

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?

This prompt can be tricky, but don’t pass over it too quickly. We all experience obstacles, even if they don’t cause outright failure. But if you choose this prompt, you need to put a positive spin on it. Notice the reference to what you “learned from the experience.” Make sure that you explain how this experience made you a stronger, more thoughtful, compassionate, or insightful person.

Tell admissions officers that you learn from your past mistakes and failures and you’re a better person because of them. Notice that this prompt has three parts to it. You need to tell the story of:

• when you experienced a challenge, setback, or failure
• how it affected you
• what you learned from it.

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

This prompt can be a great one for students who fight for human rights or who have made change in their schools through student government, but an excellent answer to this prompt can be on a smaller scale as well. Perhaps you stood up for someone who was being bullied. Or maybe you spoke up in class even though your views were different than those of your peers.

Finally, consider times you challenged your own beliefs or ideas; this could be an opportunity to show admissions officers that you have the ability to reflect on your own beliefs and change them as you grow and evolve. Notice, like the second prompt, this prompt has three parts. You need to:

• tell the story of when you challenged a belief or idea
• explain what prompted you to speak up, act, or change your mind
• explain what happened after your questioned/challenged the belief or idea.

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?

This prompt gives you a chance to write about how gratitude plays a role in your life and how you demonstrate values like generosity and kindness. Reflect, be specific, and discuss how this act of kindness has changed your personal, academic, or professional trajectory in some way. And note how you repay or pay forward that kindness as well.

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

You may want to avoid writing about an obvious, common event for this essay. Many admissions officers have read countless essays about getting one’s driver’s license, having one’s Bat Mitzvah, or studying abroad . Unless your fairly common event has a unique twist, try to write about something more unusual.

For this prompt, you don’t have to write about something that marked some enormous transition in your life (though you can, of course). You can write about small things, too; it just has to be something that made you pause, reflect, and grow.

Finally, if answering this prompt, remember to show Admissions Officers that you do, in fact, have the ability to reflect and grow. This shows that you are self-aware, responsible, and a great addition to a college community. But also don’t shy away from acknowledging that you, like everyone else in the world, have more growing to do.

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?

Here’s a prompt that cuts to the heart of the matter: what are you obsessed with? Your answer to this prompt will show admissions officers what you are truly passionate about, why you find things engaging, and what you do when you want to learn something.

Pro tip: don’t write about your video game addiction or your obsession with a celebrity or TV show unless you can connect this pastime with something clearly productive, philosophical, or career-related. You don’t want to suggest that you will fail all of your college classes because you’ll be locked in your dorm room playing Call of Duty.

However, if your obsession with games like this stems from your interest in how stereotypes are spread and reinforced, narrative strategies, or the communities that form around multi-player games, then you’ll be telling the admissions office something insightful about yourself and your interests.

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.

This prompt makes it easy for you to reuse something you’ve written for another type of application, but that doesn’t mean this is the easiest prompt to choose. Sometimes writing without limits is more challenging that writing a response to something specific.

If you do choose this prompt, make sure your resulting essay still achieves the purpose of the personal statement: it needs to convey something meaningful and specific about who you are. Don’t let yourself stray off topic; this is why organizing your message around a story or event is useful.

Once you’re ready to get writing, check out our Guide to the College Essay to help you draft and refine your personal statement.

If these musings here aren’t enough to get you started, you may want to reach out for help. Our writing experts have lots of tools and tricks to get you thinking and writing, and the sooner you start brainstorming, the better!

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Personal Essay and Short Answer Prompts

Personal essay prompts.

To help us get to know you in the application review process, you are required to submit a personal essay. For insight and advice about how to approach writing your personal essay, see our Expert Advice page. 

• Common Application first-year essay prompts
• Common App transfer essay prompt: Please provide a personal essay that addresses your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve.
• Coalition, powered by Scoir first-year and transfer essay prompts

Short Answer Question

For both first-year and transfer applicants, we ask you to complete a short answer essay (approximately 250 words) based on one of two prompts. 

• Vanderbilt University values learning through contrasting points of view. We understand that our differences, and our respect for alternative views and voices, are our greatest source of strength. Please reflect on conversations you’ve had with people who have expressed viewpoints different from your own. How did these conversations/experiences influence you?
• Vanderbilt offers a community where students find balance between their academic and social experiences. Please briefly elaborate on how one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences has influenced you.

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, what is a personal statement everything you need to know about the college essay.

College Admissions , College Essays

In addition to standardized test scores and transcripts, a personal statement or essay is a required part of many college applications. The personal statement can be one of the most stressful parts of the application process because it's the most open ended.

In this guide, I'll answer the question, "What is a personal statement?" I'll talk through common college essay topics and what makes for an effective personal statement.

College Essay Glossary

Even the terminology can be confusing if you aren't familiar with it, so let's start by defining some terms:

Personal statement —an essay you write to show a college admissions committee who you are and why you deserve to be admitted to their school. It's worth noting that, unlike "college essay," this term is used for application essays for graduate school as well.

College essay —basically the same as a personal statement (I'll be using the terms interchangeably).

Essay prompt —a question or statement that your college essay is meant to respond to.

Supplemental essay —an extra school or program-specific essay beyond the basic personal statement.

Many colleges ask for only one essay. However, some schools do ask you to respond to multiple prompts or to provide supplemental essays in addition to a primary personal statement.

Either way, don't let it stress you out! This guide will cover everything you need to know about the different types of college essays and get you started thinking about how to write a great one:

• Why colleges ask for an essay
• What kinds of essay questions you'll see
• What sets great essays apart
• Tips for writing your own essay

Why Do Colleges Ask For an Essay?

There are a couple of reasons that colleges ask applicants to submit an essay, but the basic idea is that it gives them more information about you, especially who you are beyond grades and test scores.

#1: Insight Into Your Personality

The most important role of the essay is to give admissions committees a sense of your personality and what kind of addition you'd be to their school's community . Are you inquisitive? Ambitious? Caring? These kinds of qualities will have a profound impact on your college experience, but they're hard to determine based on a high school transcript.

Basically, the essay contextualizes your application and shows what kind of person you are outside of your grades and test scores . Imagine two students, Jane and Tim: they both have 3.5 GPAs and 1200s on the SAT. Jane lives in Colorado and is the captain of her track team; Tim lives in Vermont and regularly contributes to the school paper. They both want to be doctors, and they both volunteer at the local hospital.

As similar as Jane and Tim seem on paper, in reality, they're actually quite different, and their unique perspectives come through in their essays. Jane writes about how looking into her family history for a school project made her realize how the discovery of modern medical treatments like antibiotics and vaccines had changed the world and drove her to pursue a career as a medical researcher. Tim, meanwhile, recounts a story about how a kind doctor helped him overcome his fear of needles, an interaction that reminded him of the value of empathy and inspired him to become a family practitioner. These two students may seem outwardly similar but their motivations and personalities are very different.

Without an essay, your application is essentially a series of numbers: a GPA, SAT scores, the number of hours spent preparing for quiz bowl competitions. The personal statement is your chance to stand out as an individual.

#2: Evidence of Writing Skills

A secondary purpose of the essay is to serve as a writing sample and help colleges see that you have the skills needed to succeed in college classes. The personal statement is your best chance to show off your writing , so take the time to craft a piece you're really proud of.

That said, don't panic if you aren't a strong writer. Admissions officers aren't expecting you to write like Joan Didion; they just want to see that you can express your ideas clearly.

No matter what, your essay should absolutely not include any errors or typos .

#3: Explanation of Extenuating Circumstances

For some students, the essay is also a chance to explain factors affecting their high school record. Did your grades drop sophomore year because you were dealing with a family emergency? Did you miss out on extracurriculars junior year because of an extended medical absence? Colleges want to know if you struggled with a serious issue that affected your high school record , so make sure to indicate any relevant circumstances on your application.

Keep in mind that in some cases there will be a separate section for you to address these types of issues, as well as any black marks on your record like expulsions or criminal charges.

#4: Your Reasons for Applying to the School

Many colleges ask you to write an essay or paragraph about why you're applying to their school specifically . In asking these questions, admissions officers are trying to determine if you're genuinely excited about the school and whether you're likely to attend if accepted .

I'll talk more about this type of essay below.

What Kind of Questions Do Colleges Ask?

Thankfully, applications don't simply say, "Please include an essay about yourself"; they include a question or prompt that you're asked to respond to . These prompts are generally pretty open-ended and can be approached in a lot of different ways .

Nonetheless, most questions fall into a few main categories. Let's go through each common type of prompt, with examples from the Common Application, the University of California application, and a few individual schools.

Prompt Type 1: Your Personal History

This sort of question asks you to write about a formative experience, important event, or key relationship from your life . Admissions officers want to understand what is important to you and how your background has shaped you as a person.

These questions are both common and tricky. The most common pit students fall into is trying to tell their entire life stories. It's better to focus in on a very specific point in time and explain why it was meaningful to you.

Common App 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.

Common App 5

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

University of California 2

Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.

University of California 6

Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.

Prompt Type 2: Facing a Problem

A lot of prompts deal with how you solve problems, how you cope with failure, and how you respond to conflict. College can be difficult, both personally and academically, and admissions committees want to see that you're equipped to face those challenges .

The key to these types of questions is to identify a real problem, failure, or conflict ( not a success in disguise) and show how you adapted and grew from addressing the issue.

Common App 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?

Harvard University 7

The Harvard College Honor Code declares that we “hold honesty as the foundation of our community.” As you consider entering this community that is committed to honesty, please reflect on a time when you or someone you observed had to make a choice about whether to act with integrity and honesty.

Prompt Type 3: Diversity

Most colleges are pretty diverse, with students from a wide range of backgrounds. Essay questions about diversity are designed to help admissions committees understand how you interact with people who are different from you .

In addressing these prompts, you want to show that you're capable of engaging with new ideas and relating to people who may have different beliefs than you.

Common App 3

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

Johns Hopkins University

Tell us about an aspect of your identity (e.g., race, gender, sexuality, religion, community) or a life experience that has shaped you as an individual and how that influenced what you’d like to pursue in college at Hopkins.  This can be a future goal or experience that is either [sic] academic, extracurricular, or social.

Duke University Optional 1

We believe a wide range of personal perspectives, beliefs, and lived experiences are essential to making Duke a vibrant and meaningful living and learning community. Feel free to share with us anything in this context that might help us better understand you and what you might bring to our community. 

Prompt Type 4: Your Future Goals

This type of prompt asks about what you want to do in the future: sometimes simply what you'd like to study, sometimes longer-term career goals. Colleges want to understand what you're interested in and how you plan to work towards your goals.

You'll mostly see these prompts if you're applying for a specialized program (like pre-med or engineering) or applying as a transfer student. Some schools also ask for supplementary essays along these lines. 

University of Southern California (Architecture)

Princeton Supplement 1

Prompt Type 5: Why This School

The most common style of supplemental essay is the "why us?" essay, although a few schools with their own application use this type of question as their main prompt. In these essays, you're meant to address the specific reasons you want to go to the school you're applying to .

Whatever you do, don't ever recycle these essays for more than one school.

Chapman University

There are thousands of universities and colleges. Why are you interested in attending Chapman?

Columbia University

Why are you interested in attending Columbia University? We encourage you to consider the aspect(s) that you find unique and compelling about Columbia.

Rice University

Based upon your exploration of Rice University, what elements of the Rice experience appeal to you?

Princeton University

Princeton has a longstanding commitment to understanding our responsibility to society through service and civic engagement. How does your own story intersect with these ideals?

Prompt Type 6: Creative Prompts

More selective schools often have supplemental essays with stranger or more unique questions. University of Chicago is notorious for its weird prompts, but it's not the only school that will ask you to think outside the box in addressing its questions.

University of Chicago

“Vlog,” “Labradoodle,” and “Fauxmage.” Language is filled with portmanteaus. Create a new portmanteau and explain why those two things are a “patch” (perfect match).

University of Vermont

Established in Burlington, VT, Ben & Jerry’s is synonymous with both ice cream and social change. The “Save Our Swirled” flavor raises awareness of climate change, and “I Dough, I Dough” celebrates marriage equality. If you worked alongside Ben & Jerry, what charitable flavor would you develop and why?

What Makes a Strong Personal Statement?

OK , so you're clear on what a college essay is, but you're still not sure how to write a good one . To help you get started, I'm going to explain the main things admissions officers look for in students' essays: an engaging perspective, genuine moments, and lively writing .

I've touched on these ideas already, but here, I'll go into more depth about how the best essays stand out from the pack.

Showing Who You Are

A lot of students panic about finding a unique topic, and certainly writing about something unusual like a successful dating app you developed with your friends or your time working as a mall Santa can't hurt you. But what's really important isn't so much what you write about as how you write about it . You need to use your subject to show something deeper about yourself.

Look at the prompts above: you'll notice that they almost all ask you what you learned or how the experience affected you. Whatever topic you pick, you must be able to specifically address how or why it matters to you .

Say a student, Will, was writing about the mall Santa in response to Common App prompt number 2 (the one about failure): Will was a terrible mall Santa. He was way too skinny to be convincing and the kids would always step on his feet. He could easily write 600 very entertaining words describing this experience, but they wouldn't necessarily add up to an effective college essay.

To do that, he'll need to talk about his motivations and his feelings: why he took such a job in the first place and what he did (and didn't) get out of it. Maybe Will took the job because he needed to make some money to go on a school trip and it was the only one he could find. Despite his lack of enthusiasm for screaming children, he kept doing it because he knew if he persevered through the whole holiday season he would have enough money for his trip. Would you rather read "I failed at being a mall Santa" or "Failing as a mall Santa taught me how to persevere no matter what"? Admissions officers definitely prefer the latter.

Ultimately, the best topics are ones that allow you to explain something surprising about yourself .

Since the main point of the essay is to give schools a sense of who you are, you have to open up enough to let them see your personality . Writing a good college essay means being honest about your feelings and experiences even when they aren't entirely positive.

In this context, honesty doesn't mean going on at length about the time you broke into the local pool at night and nearly got arrested, but it does mean acknowledging when something was difficult or upsetting for you. Think about the mall Santa example above. The essay won't work unless the writer genuinely acknowledges that he was a bad Santa and explains why.

Eloquent Writing

As I mentioned above, colleges want to know that you are a strong enough writer to survive in college classes . Can you express your ideas clearly and concisely? Can you employ specific details appropriately and avoid clichés and generalizations? These kinds of skills will serve you well in college (and in life!).

Nonetheless, admissions officers recognize that different students have different strengths. They aren't looking for a poetic magnum opus from someone who wants to be a math major. (Honestly, they aren't expecting a masterwork from anyone , but the basic point stands.) Focus on making sure that your thoughts and personality come through, and don't worry about using fancy vocabulary or complex rhetorical devices.

Above all, make sure that you have zero grammar or spelling errors . Typos indicate carelessness, which will hurt your cause with admissions officers.

Top Five Essay-Writing Tips

Now that you have a sense of what colleges are looking for, let's talk about how you can put this new knowledge into practice as you approach your own essay. Below, I've collected my five best tips from years as a college essay counselor.

#1: Start Early!

No matter how much you want to avoid writing your essay, don't leave it until the last minute . One of the most important parts of the essay writing process is editing, and editing takes a lot of time. You want to be able to put your draft in a drawer for a week and come back to it with fresh eyes. You don't want to be stuck with an essay you don't really like because you have to submit your application tomorrow.

You need plenty of time to experiment and rewrite, so I would recommend starting your essays at least two months before the application deadline . For most students, that means starting around Halloween, but if you're applying early, you'll need to get going closer to Labor Day.

Of course, it's even better to get a head start and begin your planning earlier. Many students like to work on their essays over the summer, when they have more free time, but you should keep in mind that each year's application isn't usually released until August or September. Essay questions often stay the same from year to year, however. If you are looking to get a jump on writing, you can try to confirm with the school (or the Common App) whether the essay questions will be the same as the previous year's.

#2: Pick a Topic You're Genuinely Excited About

One of the biggest mistakes students make is trying to write what they think the committee wants to hear. The truth is that there's no "right answer" when it comes to college essays . T he best topics aren't limited to specific categories like volunteer experiences or winning a tournament. Instead, they're topics that actually matter to the writer .

"OK," you're thinking, "but what does she mean by 'a topic that matters to you'? Because to be perfectly honest, right now, what really matters to me is that fall TV starts up this week, and I have a feeling I shouldn't write about that."

You're not wrong (although some great essays have been written about television ). A great topic isn't just something that you're excited about or that you talk to your friends about; it's something that has had a real, describable effect on your perspective .

This doesn't mean that you should overemphasize how something absolutely changed your life , especially if it really didn't. Instead, try to be as specific and honest as you can about how the experience affected you, what it taught you, or what you got out of it.

Let's go back to the TV idea. Sure, writing an essay about how excited you are for the new season of Stranger Things  probably isn't the quickest way to get yourself into college, but you could write a solid essay (in response to the first type of prompt) about how SpongeBob SquarePants was an integral part of your childhood. However, it's not enough to just explain how much you loved SpongeBob—you must also explain why and how watching the show every day after school affected your life. For example, maybe it was a ritual you shared with your brother, which showed you how even seemingly silly pieces of pop culture can bring people together. Dig beneath the surface to show who you are and how you see the world.

When you write about something you don't really care about, your writing will come out clichéd and uninteresting, and you'll likely struggle to motivate yourself. When you instead write about something that is genuinely important to you, you can make even the most ordinary experiences—learning to swim, eating a meal, or watching TV—engaging .

#3: Focus on Specifics

But how do you write an interesting essay? Focus.

Don't try to tell your entire life story or even the story of an entire weekend; 500–650 words may seem like a lot, but you'll reach that limit quickly if you try to pack every single thing that has happened to you into your essay. If, however, you just touch on a wide range of topics, you'll end up with an essay that reads more like a résumé.

Instead, narrow in on one specific event or idea, and talk about it in more depth . The narrower your topic, the better. For example, writing about your role as Mercutio in your school's production of Romeo and Juliet is too general, but writing about opening night, when everything went wrong, could be a great topic.

Whatever your topic, use details to help draw the reader in and express your unique perspective. But keep in mind that you don't have to include every detail of what you did or thought; stick to the important and illustrative ones.

#4: Use Your Own Voice

College essays aren't academic assignments; you don't need to be super formal. Instead, try to be yourself. The best writing sounds like a more eloquent version of the way you talk .

Focus on using clear, simple language that effectively explains a point or evokes a feeling. To do so, avoid the urge to use fancy-sounding synonyms when you don't really know what they mean. Contractions are fine; slang, generally, is not. Don't hesitate to write in the first person.

A final note: you don't need to be relentlessly positive. It's OK to acknowledge that sometimes things don't go how you want—just show how you grew from that.

#5: Be Ruthless

Many students want to call it a day after writing a first draft, but editing is a key part of writing a truly great essay. To be clear, editing doesn't mean just making a few minor wording tweaks and cleaning up typos; it means reading your essay carefully and objectively and thinking about how you could improve it .

Ask yourself questions as you read: is the progression of the essay clear? Do you make a lot of vague, sweeping statements that could be replaced with more interesting specifics? Do your sentences flow together nicely? Do you show something about yourself beyond the surface level?

You will have to delete and rewrite (potentially large) parts of your essay, and no matter how attached you feel to something you wrote, you might have to let it go . If you've ever heard the phrase "kill your darlings," know that it is 100% applicable to college essay writing.

At some point, you might even need to rewrite the whole essay. Even though it's annoying, starting over is sometimes the best way to get an essay that you're really proud of.

What's Next?

Make sure to check out our other posts on college essays , including our step-by-step guide to how to write your college essay , our analysis of the Common App Prompts , and our collection of example essays .

If you're in need of guidance on other parts of the application process , take a look at our guides to choosing the right college for you , writing about extracurriculars , deciding to double major , and requesting teacher recommendations .

Last but not least, if you're planning on taking the SAT one last time , check out our ultimate guide to studying for the SAT and make sure you're as prepared as possible.

Alex is an experienced tutor and writer. Over the past five years, she has worked with almost a hundred students and written about pop culture for a wide range of publications. She graduated with honors from University of Chicago, receiving a BA in English and Anthropology, and then went on to earn an MA at NYU in Cultural Reporting and Criticism. In high school, she was a National Merit Scholar, took 12 AP tests and scored 99 percentile scores on the SAT and ACT.

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How to Write a Personal Statement [Tips + Essay Examples]

It’s one of the most critical, confusing, and stressful parts of the college application: the personal statement. As a component of the Common Application, the personal statement gives students the most control and the best opportunity to let the university get to know a little more about them. The predetermined prompts are broad enough that students can pretty much write about whatever they want, as long as it relates to their chosen essay question.

What Is a Personal Statement?

The personal statement is a short essay that allows the admissions committee to get to know more about you beyond your grades, test scores, extracurriculars, and recommendation letters. It should provide a compelling narrative that expresses your authentic voice and helps the committee understand who you are and how you would contribute to the campus community. Other parts of the college application don’t provide much insight into your personality, which is why the personal statement matters.     

Why the Personal Statement Is Important

When students think about what it takes to get into college, the first thing that usually comes to mind is good grades and test scores. While those “hard factors” are critical, the   college application evaluation also takes into account “soft factors,” or the application elements that aren’t so easily quantified — like essays, recommendations, extracurricular activities, and more. The essay is the most important soft factor that colleges consider, according to NACAC’s State of College Admissions report .

The personal statement, when used properly, can give admissions officers additional insight into who a student is as a person, what motivates them, and, more practically, how that student communicates and follows directions. An amazing personal statement isn’t going to guarantee admission, but it can positively impact a student’s application, while a poor personal statement can really hurt a student’s chances of getting in. This is why the personal statement shouldn’t be taken lightly. Students need to put a lot of effort into writing a great essay to enhance their chances of admission.

6 Tips to Help You Write a Great Personal Statement

Don’t rush the process of writing a personal statement. It can be intimidating — especially since the admissions committee is your audience — so allow yourself plenty of time to draft and revise. These six tips can help college-bound high school seniors write a great personal statement essay.

Reveal Something New About Yourself

We say this every year because it’s one of the essay tips students struggle with the most. In an attempt to show a specialty or passion, students can often be redundant and spend the length of the essay reiterating something else that’s already in the application. If marching band is on your activity list, the college already knows you enjoy music, so don’t spend your essay writing about what it means to play flute in the band.

Take this opportunity to give the admissions office insight into something new about you. Whether it’s how your religion impacts your education, how a mentor helped you realize your potential, or an event that’s shaped who you are today, write about something with substance that adds another dimension to your application.

Spend Time Brainstorming Topics

To reveal something new about yourself, choose a meaningful and original essay topic. While the Common Application essay questions are helpful, it’s up to you to choose a personal topic that ties in with the Common Application prompt you’ve selected. Take time to think about what’s important to you, what people or events have shaped you, and what you think is interesting about yourself.

Don’t just choose the most obvious topic, like the soccer team captain writing about winning the championship game. Instead, think of events, themes, life experiences, and more that are somewhat unique to you and how they’ve impacted you. Investing in brainstorming is key to writing a stellar personal statement.

The topic you ultimately choose must make for a strong narrative. To give you an example, Robin , an IvyWise College Admissions Counselor, shares what she wrote about in her personal statement.

Be Mindful of Word Choice, Tone, and Voice

Your essay should sound like you wrote it, so avoid this college application mistake and don’t overload it with long vocabulary words, complex sentence structure, or a lofty tone if that’s not how you normally write or speak. However, don’t be afraid to stretch your writing skills.

The personal statement should demonstrate your best writing, so take your time to carefully craft an essay that clearly conveys your story and your voice. Avoid redundant words or phrases, filler words that don’t add any value, or confusing language that muddles the message.

Practice, Practice, Practice!

It’s rare that anyone’s first draft is the perfect personal statement. Just like with anything else, you get better with practice. Write often, whether it’s in a journal, blog, or another outlet, as a way to improve and evolve your writing skills. When it comes time to pen your personal statement, practice that, too. Revise, revise, and then revise again. It often takes students many drafts before they have a personal statement that demonstrates their best writing and clearly conveys the essay’s message.

Don’t Procrastinate

A stellar essay isn’t usually written in a day. We advise students to get a head start on their personal statements by brainstorming topics and writing the first draft as early as the summer before the school year starts. That way, some of the most difficult work — choosing a topic and starting the writing process — is done before you head into a hectic senior year. However, we realize this isn’t always the case for students. No matter where you are with your personal statement, don’t wait to get feedback or help from your college counselor. The earlier you can get this essay done, the better!

Expand on Relevant Skills and Experiences

Your personal statement is an opportunity to expand on your skills and experiences. Weave these details into your narrative — how you developed and honed these skills and how they helped you personally and professionally. Did you learn more personal responsibility? Did you gain more self-confidence? Did you realize that you are a natural leader? These are all details you can include.

These are just a few tips that can help you get started with writing a great personal statement. Remember, be yourself and write about what’s important to you — not what you think the college wants to read. IvyWise counselors Rachel and Zach share their top tips on how to brainstorm and write college application essays, and what admissions officers are looking for when they read them on the Just Admit It! college admissions podcast. Listen Now to learn how to brainstorm and write college essays and what admissions officers are looking for when they read them.

7-Step Fool-Proof Strategy on How to Write a Personal Statement

Step 1: brainstorm.

Brainstorming is a critical part of any writing process. You can never have too many ideas! If you haven’t decided which personal statement prompt to respond to yet, take the time to come up with at least three ideas for each of them.  Try these brainstorming tips to help you generate some creative ideas.  

Step 2: Shortlist Your Ideas

Since most personal statement prompts require you to write a short response, it’s best to focus on one idea. Now it’s time to narrow your list. Look at each idea you’ve written down. Is it a topic you’ve cared about for a long time? Is it a topic you’ll enjoy writing about? Is it a topic that allows you to showcase your unique perspective? If so, add this topic to your shortlist.

Step 3: Start Writing Down Your Thoughts

Now that you have a topic, it’s time to start writing! You aren’t going to get it right on the first draft, so just focus on getting the words down. Refer to the personal statement prompt as you write to ensure you don’t stray off topic, and don’t think about the word count just yet. You can polish and refine later to add or subtract words as needed. These tips can help you with your rough draft.

• Don’t think about complex language before you write down what you want to say. Edit later. 
• Write like you speak. Don’t use vocabulary you wouldn’t normally use or stuff your essay full of words you think will impress the admissions committee. That said, your essay should also be relatively free of grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors — though you aren’t expected to be perfect.  
• Get personal. The admissions committee wants to get to know you, so don’t be afraid to write about your life in detail.  

Step 4: Take a Break and Read It Out Loud Later

Writing your personal statement can be challenging because you are invested emotionally. It’s important to take breaks to clear your head. In fact, walking boosts creativity , so taking short strolls can help if you’re feeling stuck. When you come back to your essay, read it out loud so you can get a feel for its flow and catch mistakes.   

Step 5: End It with a Bang

Ideally, you want your personal statement to make a lasting impression on the admission committee. A strong conclusion should connect to the beginning of your essay, reinforce your key points, and make the case for why you should be admitted.

Step 6: Edit

Now that you have a completed draft, it’s time to proofread and edit. Catch grammar and spelling mistakes in your personal statement by reading over it carefully. Make sure your essay is clear, flows well, responds to the prompt, and avoids repetition. Also edit for conciseness, especially if your draft exceeds the maximum word limit.  

Step 7: Ask for a Second Opinion and Rewrite if Needed

Asking someone you trust to read your personal statement is beneficial. Not only can they catch errors you missed, but they can also point out anything that’s unclear, distracting, or choppy. Ask someone who will give you honest feedback, especially if they have strong writing and/or editing skills. Rewrite or revise any sections that need work.    

Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Write Your Personal Statement

You may find it helpful to do some self-reflection before you start the process of writing your personal statement. Thinking about these questions can help you add more interesting and compelling details to your narrative.

• Do you have a specific skill or quality that distinguishes you from others?
• What hardships or challenges have you overcome, and what did you learn from them?
• Is there something about you or your life story that is particularly distinctive?
• When and how did you become interested in the academic discipline(s) you want to pursue?
• What aspects of your personality will make you successful in your chosen field?
• What have you learned through work, academics, or extracurricular activities that has helped you grow personally and professionally?
• What are the most compelling reasons for the admissions committee to accept you?  

Examples of a Good Personal Statement

These examples of good personal statements come from IvyWise students. Each responds to a different personal statement prompt on the Common App and provides insights into themselves that wouldn’t appear elsewhere in their applications.  

Personal Statement Example 1

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? (650 words max)

“What is utopia?” Dr. Cohen challenged my junior-year English class while we discussed Chang-Rae Lee’s dystopian novel On Such a Full Sea.

“A world without poverty and war!” “No discrimination or injustice!” “A four-day school week!”

As my classmates described their “perfect” worlds, I struggled for my own. In Qingdao, my home until I was eight, I’d been taught that the People’s Republic was the ideal society. Yet, the surveillance cameras in our classrooms defied a sense of freedom, and the songs we recited at assembly praising the Party felt mechanical and forced. When my family moved to California, I anticipated a freer, more just country, but disappointment followed. A sixth-grade classmate asked how I could see through my slanted eyes; our neighbors mimicked my mom for saying “sanks” instead of “thanks;” and last year, I encountered threats of censorship when I submitted a newspaper article about microaggressions against students of color.

As I sat in Dr. Cohen’s class mulling over these thoughts, I couldn’t hold back. I raised my hand. “Utopia doesn’t exist,” I stated firmly.

Sir Thomas More titled his paradisical satire from the Greek word ou-topos, which literally means “no place, nowhere,” and I was beginning to understand his irony: How could utopia exist in a world plagued by so much injustice and distrust? Because we humans are imperfect, I rationalized, no place inhabited by us could ever be perfect. In fact, all the authors we had explored in class–Atwood, Orwell, Ishiguro–affirmed this grim reality.

I am, by nature, an optimist, so for days after the utopia dilemma, I was bothered by my unexpected cynicism. Struggling to formulate a universal truth that would define the perfect world, I pored over utopian philosophies–those of Plato, St. Augustine, Owen. As I sought an answer, I found myself drawn to moments in my own life: cooking baozi with my grandmother, sharing sugar cookies with fellow newspaper staff during Saturday layouts, singing Adele’s hits with my mom driving home with fresh strawberries from the farmers’ market, and laughing hysterically with Kate and Ben while watching our mockumentary about Halloween. Though these moments weren’t documented in treatises, they were my utopias, my souvenirs of unblemished happiness.

But how could my everyday moments possibly approach the grand worlds posited by renowned philosophers? My utopias didn’t fit the model of the detached island that More had envisioned; my idylls depended upon close relationships and camaraderie, not solitude. Nor did my visions of ideal existence involve the propaganda and censorship upon which Plato’s Kallipolis was founded; my utopias rested on honesty, compassion, and companionship. Connection, I reasoned, is essential to utopia because our very nature is relational, a deep longing within each of us to seek the comfort of another.

I realized then that utopia isn’t one place or condition; it’s every small moment of engaging with others, of feeling known and letting others know they too are seen and understood. It’s not just gathering for celebration; it’s bolstering during injustice, sharing over grief, forgiving despite betrayal. It was marching with fellow Black Lives Matter protesters, mourning with my childhood playmates when our friend Kairan died, forgiving Anna for divulging my secret, and Anna’s forgiving me for divulging hers.

In class, I’d vehemently agreed with More that utopia existed nowhere. I recognize now that it can–it must–exist everywhere, especially in a challenging world where sometimes all we have is each other.

I’m still convinced there is no perfect world; I’m not sure it was even fair for me to expect one when I know that I myself am far from perfect. But my acceptance of human flaws, including my own, has not diminished my optimism. Instead, I’ve become even more determined to create for myself and others those special moments that give life meaning and purpose.

Why This Essay Works

This essay stands out because the student demonstrates their ability to think critically, question their own beliefs, and come to a new understanding about themselves. The student provides a window into their personality, and their experiences as an ethnic minority helps the admissions committee understand the diverse perspective this student can contribute to the campus community.

Personal Statement Example 2

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. (650 words max)

As a sailor, I revel in the piercing wind, the sound of my boat tearing through the water, and the periodic ice-cold splashes in my lap. But my head is always filled with questions. Why do we set the sail at certain angles? To find the answer, I went home and filled my beloved chalkboard with trigonometry and calculus, deriving that the sail’s optimal angle is half the bow’s angle to the wind. And how does a sailboat sail? Bernoulli’s principle in AP Physics answered that.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve learned best by asking questions and exchanging ideas. A simple question can lead my mind to go out for a stroll… and fall down a rabbit hole, like the one I found myself in during an elective on Nazi Germany. Every few sentences I read sparked a question to Google: What was the history of IG Farben? What obscure facts can I learn about Berchtesgaden? This happens with everything I read; when I need to move on to other work, I create a long list of questions to research later. Every answer sparks more questions and more articles saved in open tabs, running me up against the 500-tab limit on both web browsers on my phone. To paraphrase JFK: As my knowledge grows, my ignorance unfolds.

But seeking answers goes beyond gathering information. In Mock Trial, my moral and political views often lead me to quickly conclude which side is “right.” Building two opposing arguments, arguing passionately for both, and asking questions to poke holes in my own arguments allows me to understand different perspectives. I’ve learned that no issue is as clear-cut as it seems. For example, I always saw student debt as a matter of personal responsibility. Then a conversation with my English teacher while on a field trip made me waver. Hearing about the weight of her monthly payments and her struggles to make ends meet, I saw that the student debt crisis requires a societal response. She dedicated her life to teaching students like me, and I was benefitting from her burden. I now find myself interested in questions with purpose: How do issues like student debt impact people’s lives? What can be done about it?

Such questions about morality and effectiveness are at the heart of policy discussions. I’ve seen how policy questions affect real people, whether I’m talking to voters about the Cincinnati streetcar while working on a local campaign, writing about the national abortion debate, or advocating for STEM education funding on Capitol Hill. How should Cincinnati spend its transportation budget? What is the best way to bring robotics programs to disadvantaged communities? Asking such questions and hearing different perspectives is critical to crafting effective policies.

To inform my opinions on difficult questions, I absorb viewpoints from opposing sources and debate (often vigorously!) with my friends and family. I scrutinize problems with arguments in publications that align with my beliefs and carefully consider good points by authors I typically disagree with. I dive past the political zealotry tied to Supreme Court rulings, reading law review articles and referencing my course notes from Justice , where I read Kant, Mills, and Rawls. Using these resources, I examined the legal and moral questions around the 2021 case Cedar Point Nursery v. Hassid , writing an article weighing employers’ property rights and unions’ rights to organize workers. But not all questions are weighty: I love bickering with my best friend about whether Shakespeare was better than Marlowe (he was) or arguing with her over which Star Wars movie is best (clearly, The Force Awakens , not The Empire Strikes Back ).

Asking questions forces me to think, leading toa deeper understanding. While some questions are trivial, the answers are always interesting. More importantly, the answers to some questions can meaningfully impact people’s lives. This is what motivates me to keep learning, keep debating, and keep questioning.

This essay demonstrates the student’s critical thinking skills and what motivates them to learn both in and out of the classroom. The main idea flows seamlessly throughout the essay, from topics that pique the student’s interest in class to social and political issues and activities that inspire them to question, debate, and understand. It gives the admission committee a good idea of how this student will contribute to the class and the wider campus community.

How Ivywise Can Help You with Your Personal Statement

At IvyWise, our team of former admissions officers works with students to help them brainstorm and identify compelling personal statement topics, provide feedback on essay drafts, and more. Our college counseling services and strategic admissions support can help you stand out in all aspects of your application.

Just looking for help with your personal statement? We offer customizable programs to fit your specific needs, goals, and budget, including smaller programs focusing on your college essay.  Contact us today for information on our counseling services.

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Home » IvyWise KnowledgeBase » IvyWise Resources » All Articles » How to Write a Personal Statement [Tips + Essay Examples]

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How to Write the Common App Personal Statement Prompts 2023-2024

June 30, 2023

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the task of writing your Common App Personal Statement? Don't worry, you're not alone. Many students find the idea of writing a compelling essay to be daunting. Where should you start? Which experiences are truly compelling to share? How can you condense your life story into a mere 650 words? There's a lot of pressure to find the perfect topic that will make you stand out but that's where the Common App personal statement prompts 2023-2024 come in handy. 

To help you navigate this year's questions, I've outlined each prompt and provided tips on how to tackle them. I’ve also included strategic techniques that allow you to leverage your creative freedom and write about a topic of your choice, instead of selecting from the Common App personal statement prompts 2023-2024.

The Common App personal statement prompts 2023-2024

Let’s start with the basics. You only have to write about one of the prompts provided by the Common App. The word limit is 650 words, which is a scant number to narrate a powerful story without leaving out too many important details. Let’s take a closer look at each of the Common App personal statement prompts 2023-2024 alongside some suggestions and ideas of how you might answer them: 

Prompt 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.

This topic is the most open-ended of the pre-assigned questions in the Common App personal statement prompts 2023-2024 . You can pretty much go any direction with this question since it’s asking about your background, identity, or interests. You might want to write about how you hold certain beliefs that have defined the course of your life. You can choose to elaborate on a cultural tradition that you look forward to and how the ways you’ve celebrated it changed with time. You can focus your essay on your career interest—for example, is there a compelling story that changed everything for you and developed your desire to pursue a career in politics after college? 

Take note of the second part of the question though, because you have to believe that your application would be incomplete without it. After you’ve written your first draft, ask yourself whether admissions officers could have evaluated your application just fine without knowing about what you’ve written. Colleges don’t need to know what your favorite television show is to decide whether you’re a top candidate—unless your connection to the show truly impacted your decision to pursue your passion.

Since you already have an activities list on the Common App, it’s important not to address topics that are already covered elsewhere. Your essay should not just repeat what you’ve already said.

Prompt 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?

You should be careful when answering a question about your greatest setback. Since top schools receive applications from students of all backgrounds, the definition of a “challenge” will vary from person to person. A setback is not one C on your report card in ninth grade after a lifetime of A’s. Admissions officers read essays from students who’ve experienced homelessness, debilitating illness, domestic violence, or actual disasters. Does your definition of a challenge seem relatively minor when you think about these issues? If so, choose a different topic.

It’s important that you don’t exaggerate adversity. Don’t write an essay about a minor soccer injury you received that had few repercussions, but is really a way for you to talk about your awesome team travel experiences. Find a topic that speaks to the best sides of you. 

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

There’s no definition in the Common App Personal statement prompts 2023-2024 about how grand the idea you’re challenging has to be. If you have a compelling story about arranging a protest in your neighborhood or school that tried to change the authorities’ minds, that’s awesome, and definitely something you should write about. But even something less tangible—such as changing your parents’ minds on why the women’s national soccer team deserves equal pay—could also be spun into a powerful story about what drives you to act and policies you’re passionate about. 

Remember to answer the second and third questions within the prompt—don’t spend all 650 words describing the idea. Why are you passionate about this cause? Was there an incident that changed how you viewed the belief yourself? And when thinking about the outcome—you don’t always have to succeed. You can frame your essay in such a way that shows you remain passionate and committed to pursuing your own understanding of truth, justice—whatever you have been inspired to challenge. Colleges appreciate students who are dedicated to their ideas and aren’t afraid to speak up. If tackled right, this topic could lead to a stellar essay. 

Prompt 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?

This prompt was introduced in the last couple of years as a chance to allow students to be positive and express gratitude. As with most of the Common App personal statement prompts 2023-2024 , this prompt is less about the grandness of what someone might have done for you, and more about getting to know what’s important to you and how you’ve been affected or motivated by the situation—especially in these tough circumstances. The gratitude does not have to reflect your academic interest, but rather demonstrate your humility and connections with others in your community. Did a friend help you when you were at your lowest? Has a teacher supported you through thick and thin? Have you and a sibling started an initiative together—and you were glad they were there for you?

Focus less on what happened and dedicate more time to discussing how you’ve carried this gratitude forward. And remember, this should center around the high school you. If someone helped you out as a toddler, that story won’t intrigue admissions officers. 

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

Over your four years in high school, you meet a lot of new people and go through a lot of new experiences. It’s not unheard of for someone to feel like a completely different person by the end of those four years. This topic among the Common App personal statement prompts 2023-2024 is the place to reflect on that kind of growth. 

Like the other prompts, there’s no one way to interpret what the question asks. You could have gone from the weakest link in your football team or the member of your a capella group without solos. If you found yourself working hard to practice and improve, the end result may have been a happy one. 

Don’t forget to highlight what you understood about yourself through the experience. It could be about your own grit and never-give-up attitude. You could have learned who your true friends were in a time of struggle. Whatever it may be, make sure to exemplify how your actions have changed since the growth—is there anything different that you’ve noticed in your behavior or approach to matters? Colleges value students who demonstrate self-awareness.

Prompt 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?

If you’ve got a niche interest that is more nuanced than most people realize—whether it’s the impact of teen girls on pop culture or the hidden meaning behind Gucci’s suits over the ages, tell admissions officers about it! Once you’ve explained the topic in a sentence or two, you should use the rest of the essay to talk about how you act on your interest and share it with others. 

The other good thing about this prompt is that nothing is too small. There’s no right answer—it’s what you think about and what you find interesting. Just be certain that you explain properly just why you’re so intrigued by the topic. It doesn’t have to be extremely deep like the history of the universe or how to find the cure to cancer. Explain why the topic matters to you—does it make you feel seen or represented in a way nothing else ever has? Does it inspire you to get out of bed every morning and drive towards change? Explore more than just the surface of the topic and show admissions officers your perspective. Who knows, you could teach them something new that makes them go, “that’s incredible!”

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.

It’s important to note that the six essay prompts I have previously outlined exist simply to give you an idea of what you might write about. You don’t have to religiously stick to any of them because there is this one last option among the Common App personal statement prompts 2023-2024. Interestingly enough, the topic of choice is often the most popular choice. If you choose this option, make sure that the topic you’ve chosen doesn’t fall under any of the previous prompts. Yes, you may write about anything . Well, anything as long as it’s a story that is unique to you—you shouldn’t use your “personal” statement to talk about how proud you are of your best friend’s achievements as a basketball state champion. 

Don’t Let the Prompts Restrict You

Due to the final option allowing you to write on any topic, ultimately you have a lot of freedom when choosing from the Common App personal statement prompts 2023-2024 . While the suggested prompts serve as helpful brainstorming catalysts and provide you with ideas of what schools generally look for when thinking about the personal statement, if you don’t want to write about a time you encountered a challenge or a topic that makes you lose track of time, that is more than okay. If you thought you were writing an essay about a problem you’d like to solve, but the final product ends up being about how you realized you want to dedicate your life to helping animals and starting your own pet adoption center, and you feel that it fits none of the pre-assigned prompts, you can just change your topic selection. 

When you select which topic you’ve chosen on the Common App, you can change your selection as long as you haven’t sent it in.

Regardless of which prompt you choose, it’s important to answer all of the questions. It can be very easy to get carried away with narrating the focal point of your story scene by scene, but remember to save some words for other parts of the prompt. As you’ve seen above, all of the Common Application personal statement prompt s 2023-2024 have an analysis element. Once you’ve finished your first draft, re-read the prompt and make sure you’ve addressed each part of the question. If you’ve written on a topic of your choice, ensure that your essay hits on a bigger picture. How did the event help you grow? Why is the issue important to you? 

Although it is just one piece of your application, your personal statement could be the transformative factor that determines whether you get that acceptance letter. So don't underestimate the power of selecting the right topic. When choosing from the Common App personal statement prompts 2023-2024 , your goal is to create a well-written and well-edited essay that convinces admissions officers to send you that coveted acceptance letter.

If you are still feeling stuck on how to approach your Common App personal statement, schedule a free strategy call today . From brainstorming to crafting a compelling essay, our team of college admissions experts can help you put together the perfect Common App personal statement to maximize your chances of getting into your dream college.

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50 Personal Statement Topics Recommended by Experts

If you’re looking for good personal statement topics, don’t worry, you are not alone: millions of students all over the world are in the same boat. Writing such an essay is an extremely responsible task because in many ways, it determines the degree of success your application is going to have. To overcome your competition, the first thing you should do is understand what a personal essay is and why colleges and universities ask their potential students to write one. Personal statements for undergraduate admissions are a piece of writing describing personality, achievements, hobbies, and plans of students who want to join a specific educational establishment.

What makes them important? They help the committee see who a person is, what they think, what motivations they have, and how well they are capable of essay writing. Reading through academic numbers is great, but the only thing they indicate is how well a student could study. What professors want to see instead is how motivated and inspired people applying to them are, and this could be done only via an application essay. The tricky question is, where to find a great topic for it?

Tips For Choosing the Best Personal Statement Ideas

Finding a topic is always difficult. It has to resonate both with you and with people who are going to review your work, so it is vital not to make a mistake. Here are some tips you could use for solving this problem.

• Think about your life.  Even the most boring and monotonous lives have their small tragedies and victories. Start remembering them. Go through key moments and think about details surrounding them. The clearest memories are the best foundation for essay topic.
• Focus on an interesting event.  Whatever personal topics you consider, they must revolve around a prompt that evokes some genuine feelings in you. It must be something you are passionate about, something that has really affected your growth as an individual. Feel invested as you describe this situation.
• Add a challenge to it.  Don’t forget that such essays should somehow show your strong sides or your willingness to learn. Describing a situation that didn’t have a meaningful impact related to your growth won’t fit here, so focus on challenging memories. Topics must be unique.
• Speak by yourself.  Application essay is your chance to speak and present things from your perspective. If you ever felt misunderstood, betrayed, or under-evaluated, this is an opportunity to shed light on it and explain everything in a way you see it. By combining these four tips, it’ll be easier to narrow down a potential range of topics and choose a truly great one.

50 Inspiring Topics for Personal Essay

Apart from options we mentioned above, there is another alternative. When you are fruitlessly looking for possible topics and cannot find anything, it is time for using the Internet. There are many lists with suggestions people could choose from — they offer free themes and encourage students to pick them in case they find them inspiring. We present 50 top ideas that could give you a sense of direction.

Personal Statement Topics on Your Past

These topics for personal statement never get old. Look into your life; consider every relevant moment that has ever happened. Here are some ideas.

• First Day at School: My Fears, Hopes, and Strength I Gained
• Living with Workaholic Parents & How This Background Made Me Who I Am
• Accepting a Concept of Death: Frightening Story of Loss, Recovery, and Acceptance
• Overcoming Envy and Learning Self-Control
• Why I Hated Risks and How I Learned to Start Taking Them
• How Reading This Book Changed My Life & Goals
• When I Realized Why I Want to Go to College
• The Event That Brought Me to a Start & Changed Direction of My Life
• The Thing You Did That You Are Still Proud Of
• Which Event Made You Regain Faith in Humanity

Personal Statement Ideas About Challenges

We all have challenges, and some of them leave a deep mark on our hearts. Check these good personal statement topics examples — maybe they’ll remind you of a problem that you managed to overcome.

• First Taste of Betrayal & Its Impact on Me
• My Biggest Accomplishment and Challenges on Its Way
• How I Stepped Out of My Safety Zone & Changed My Core Belief
• How Being Academically Unsuccessful Made Me Want to Be the Best
• The Biggest Embarrassment of My Life: Learning From Mistakes
• Having Two Best Friends at Once Is Tough
• Coping with Stereotypes Inflicted By Other People
• Days When Panic Attacks Did Not Let Me Get Up From Bed
• Understanding Depression and Learning to Live with It
• Event That Broke My Heart & How I Healed It

Personal Statement Prompts on Academic Subjects

How about some subject-related ideas for personal statements? They are always welcome by application committees.

• My Love for Seeking Truth Was Born the Day I Discovered the Role of Law in Our Lives
• Visiting the Hospital for the First Time and Why It Fuelled My Interest in Medical Education
• My Work Was Stolen & It Woke My Interest in Intellectual Property
• Why Seemingly Impossible Career Seems Closer Now
• My Thirst for Knowledge and Why It Could Make Me a Good Journalist
• The Most Beautiful Building I’ve Ever Seen or the Day When My Love for Design Was Born
• Spending Every Sunday in My Life Cooking: Where Does That Lead Me?
• Outrageous Historical Lies and Why That Inspired Me to Study History
• From Toys to Engineering Devices: I Was an Inventor Before I Could Work
• Animals Are as Important as People: My Hopes For Becoming a Vet

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Personal Qualities Topics

People might have the same interests, but their personal characteristics make them different. These personal statement prompt examples could help demonstrate it.

• Being the Definition of Stubbornness & Its Ups and Downs
• Why My Resilience Makes Me a Good Fit For This College
• How Love and Education Come Together: My Background and My Goals
• Three Key Events That Boosted My Creativity
• Suspiciousness Is My Second Nature: It’ll Help Excel in My Field
• Passion for Politics I Carried Through Life: Then vs. Now
• Loving to Argue: Childhood Screaming Matches vs. Mature Evidence-Based Discussions
• Crying When Others Cry: How My Empathy Lets Me Live Complete Life
• What Having Creative Mind Means For Me
• I Wanted to Be a Superhero: How It Affected Who I Want to Be Now

Diversity Ideas

College personal statement topics related to diversity never lose their relevance.

• Witnessing Cruelty for the First Time and What It Taught Me
• The First Time I Faced Prejudice and Cried
• Complex Story of Figuring Out My Sexuality: Why Things Should Have Been Easier
• How My Race Affected My Social Acceptance
• Understanding Racism After Making a New Friend
• How I Believe Diversity Should Be Publicly Celebrated
• How Being Strange Became a Norm For Me
• Small Ways in Which I Intend to Change This World
• Why Diversity Is Key to Achieving Peace
• Racial Make-Up of My School  Class and How It Shaped My Views

Write an Essay That’ll Move Everyone

As long as you’re truly invested in your chosen topics for personal statements, you have every chance of crafting a stunning essay. Basically, you’ll be retelling a meaningful experience from your life, showing how you found purpose and how it led you to select this specific college. This kind of writing is always emotional, so you could affect your readers and share your joy, pain, and determination. The more effective you are in this, the more likely it is that you’ll reach success. After you settle on personal statement essay topics, write about them with sincerity and passion, and this will definitely get you some precious points!

Can’t come up with a topic for you paper? We’ve prepared a collection of essay topics for you

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2022-2023 Common App Essay Prompts

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Personal Essay Topics

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A personal essay is an essay about your life, thoughts, or experiences. This type of essay will give readers a glimpse into your most intimate life experiences and life lessons. There are many reasons you may need to write a personal essay , from a simple class assignment to a college application requirement . You can use the list below for inspiration. Consider each statement a starting point, and write about a memorable moment that the prompt brings to mind.

• Your bravest moment
• How you met your best friend
• What makes your mom or dad special
• How you overcame a fear
• Why you will succeed
• Why you made a difficult choice
• A special place
• A place you try to avoid
• When a friend let you down
• An event that changed your life
• A special encounter with an animal
• A time when you felt out of place
• An odd experience that didn't make sense at the time
• Words of wisdom that hit home and changed your way of thinking
• A person that you do not like
• A time when you disappointed someone
• Your fondest memory
• A time when you saw your parent cry
• The moment when you knew you were grown up
• Your earliest memory of holiday celebrations in your home
• Times when you should have made a better choice
• A time when you dodged a dangerous situation
• A person you will think about at the end of your life
• Your favorite time period
• A failure you've experienced
• A disappointment you've experienced
• A surprising turn of events
• What you would do with power
• What superpower you would choose
• If you could switch lives with someone
• How money matters in your life
• Your biggest loss
• A time when you felt you did the wrong thing
• A proud moment when you did the right thing
• An experience that you've never shared with another person
• A special place that you shared with a childhood friend
• A first encounter with a stranger
• Your first handshake
• Where you go to hide
• If you had a do-over
• A book that changed your life
• Words that stung
• When you had the desire to run
• When you had the urge to crawl into a hole
• Words that prompted hope
• When a child taught you a lesson
• Your proudest moment
• If your dog could talk
• Your favorite time with family
• If you could live in another country
• If you could invent something
• The world a hundred years from now
• If you had lived a hundred years earlier
• The animal you'd like to be
• One thing you'd change at your school
• The greatest movie moment
• The type of teacher you would be
• If you could be a building
• A statue you'd like to see
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• Your most unfortunate day
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• The most beautiful thing you've ever seen
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• Something you've witnessed
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• The meaning of color
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• Something you can't resist
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• A visitor you'll never forget
• An unexplained event
• Your longest minute
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• An experience with death
• Why you'll never tell a lie
• If your mom knew, she'd kill you
• A kiss that meant a lot
• When you needed a hug
• The hardest news you've had to deliver
• A special morning
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