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The Coalition for Access, Affordability and Success, a group of 93 leading colleges introducing an alternative to the Common Application this summer, on Friday issued the essay prompts to be used on the first application. A notice from the coalition notes that colleges may or may not use the essay questions and/or may have their own questions. The initial essay prompts are fairly standard for the genre:

  • Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.
  • Describe a time when you made a meaningful contribution to others in which the greater good was your focus. Discuss the challenges and rewards of making your contribution.
  • Has there been a time when you’ve had a long-cherished or accepted belief challenged? How did you respond? How did the challenge affect your beliefs?
  • What is the hardest part of being a teenager now? What’s the best part? What advice would you give a younger sibling or friend (assuming they would listen to you)?
  • Submit an essay on a topic of your choice.