What changed, what stayed the same, and how to make the most of your Common App essay.

If you’re a rising senior (or the parent of one), it’s time to face the most misunderstood piece of the college admissions puzzle: the personal statement.

Every year, families ask us: Which Common App prompt should we choose?

The good news? The prompts for 2025–2026 haven’t changed. That means you have the same seven options, with the same 650-word limit. The better news? You only need to focus on one.

Let’s walk through the options—and why at Admittedly, we like to start with Prompt 7.

Why Prompt 7 is Our Top Pick

Prompt 7 says: “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 the most flexible, the least restrictive, and often a helpful starting point for brainstorming.

We see the Common App essay not as a writing exercise, but a positioning tool. It should reinforce your student’s strategy, spotlight their most compelling traits, and answer the unspoken question: Who are you, and where are you going?

Prompt 7 lets you build the essay around your story—not contort your story to fit someone else’s prompt. That doesn’t mean students must submit under Prompt 7. In fact, we don’t recommend one prompt over another. What matters most is which prompt allows your student to tell their most compelling, authentic story.

How to Use the Other Prompts

Here are the full Common App essay prompts for 2025–2026:

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.
   
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?
   
3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
   
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?
   
5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
   
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?
   
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.
   

Think of Prompts 1 through 6 as brainstorming tools. They can help surface interesting angles or moments your student may have overlooked.

Let’s break them down.

Prompt 1: Background, Identity, Interest, or Talent
This is often used by students writing about cultural identity or a niche passion. Done well, it can be powerful—but be careful. If the story is more about what they are than who they are, the essay can fall flat.

Prompt 2: Obstacles and Challenges
Colleges aren’t looking for trauma dumps. They want evidence of maturity. If your student can articulate not just what happened, but how it shaped their worldview or leadership, this prompt can work well. Avoid essays that dwell in victimhood.

Prompt 3: Questioning a Belief or Idea
Trickier than it looks. Most teenagers don’t have a clear philosophical journey by age 17. Unless your student has a truly meaningful story here—one that connects to their broader strategy—we typically steer away.

Prompt 4: A Moment of Gratitude
This prompt was added recently and can be lovely, especially for students with strong relational or service-oriented stories. But gratitude shouldn’t overshadow growth. If it reads like a thank-you card, it won’t stand out.

Prompt 5: Personal Growth
This is broad and usable for a variety of topics. It’s often a good fit for students who had a moment that reshaped their understanding of themselves or others. Just make sure it avoids cliches and ties back to your student’s positioning.

Prompt 6: Intellectual Curiosity
We love this one—when it’s done well. Students applying to highly academic programs can use this to show their genuine passion for learning. But it’s not enough to say “I love biology.” They need to demonstrate how that interest drives them forward.

Prompt 7: Your Own Design
Again, our preferred place to start. Especially useful for unconventional stories, entrepreneurial projects, or anything that doesn’t fit neatly into another category.

Updates to the Additional Information Section

Two changes are coming to the Common App’s “Additional Information” section starting August 1, 2025:

1. The “Community Disruption” prompt is now “Challenges and Circumstances.”
   
   • Same word count (250 words max).
   • Now encourages students to speak about any personal, family, or community challenges.
   • Tip: Use this only if the information is essential and not covered elsewhere. It’s not a second essay.
2. The standard “Additional Information” section has a new limit.
   
   • Word count drops from 650 to 300.
   • This is for context on things like transcript anomalies, unusual grading systems, or significant extracurricular disruptions.
   • This section is frequently left blank. If your AI section does not either explain or add to your application, do not feel the need to fill this space.
   • Tip: Be concise. Do not use this section to continue your essay or list more awards.

A Final Word on Prompts and Positioning

The prompt is a container. What matters is the content.

We see too many students agonize over which question to answer, rather than what they want admissions to know. That’s the real work: building a strategy, then writing a personal statement that supports it.

If you’re not sure what your student should focus on, start here: Read this related blog post And remember, a beautiful essay won’t fix a broken strategy. But a strategic essay? That can change the game.

Need help crafting your essay strategy?

We work one-on-one with students to define their admissions strategy before they write a single word.

Let’s get your student on track. Book a free Family Strategy Call.