Hi @CC_Sorin! @JennaLehighU & I are finishing up our outline & then we’ll get rockin’ & rollin’!
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Hi, all! Here are some tips that can help you with your Common Application Essay:
- Jot down your ideas first - allow your thoughts to flow on paper; you never know where that might lead you!
- Make sure you respond to the prompt
- Proofread, proofread, proofread!
- Be genuinely YOU! Make this essay your own - it’s called a PERSONAL essay for a reason.
- Allow your personal essay to paint a picture of who you are as a person, and as a student
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Hi all! Here are some tips about supplemental essays! These are extra essays that a school may require to learn more about you as an applicant:
- Make the responses specific to the institution you are applying to! What we are looking for is your clear interest in the school outside of just an academic fit. If we can plug in any institution and the essay still makes sense, it is not specific enough.
- Proofread everything! Checking for spelling and grammar is not enough, sometimes students use the wrong word (or school) spelled correctly
- Make sure you are answering the prompt! While there are many ways to do this, you want to stand out in the crowd.
- Be yourself and let your experiences shine through! The rest of your application is going to all of the schools you are applying to, this is your moment to talk to that specific admissions representative, use it wisely.
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A little inside look into the world of AI-generated essays:
- Admissions representatives have a knack for when an essay or a supplemental question is answered genuinely or if it’s been written through a platform such as ChatGPT.
- If you are struggling with a topic of choice, or need help with putting together your thoughts and ideas talk with your school counselor - they want to help you through this process.
- Using an AI platform to write your essay goes beyond the topic of the essay - we want students who are honest and genuine to be a part of our campus community, and we know when students aren’t taking the time and effort to complete their application on their own.
- It is better to write an essay to the best of your ability than to use AI and get caught. Your essay is just ONE component of your larger application, it is not worth the risk of getting caught and not being accepted to your dream university.
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Hi @momofboiler1!
To answer your first question: as Admissions Representatives, we are more aware now than ever that AI plays a role in the college admissions process, and specifically will become evident in the essay portions of the application. We have done specific trainings on how to better identify genuine essays vs. AI written or ChatGPT essays to allow us to better evaluate those essays and have an understanding of the time and effort that a student put into the application. We cannot always tell if an essay has been AI written, but we are more hyper aware nowadays.
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Do we use a plagiarism checker? We do not run our essays through a plagiarism checker. Unfortunately, we do not have the time or bandwidth to run every single essay of every single applicant through a checker, so we trust that students are being trustworthy and honest by sending in their own work.
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@momofboiler1 to answer the third question - we want students to be genuinely themselves. We had a record-breaking number of applications this year, and we don’t get the opportunity to meet all students face-to-face. The personal essay allows for us as admissions representatives to learn something new about the student, as well as gaining an idea of what matters most to them.
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Great questions, @Publisher! I am going to respond in a numbered list:
- Every university is going to have a different way that they consider applications. Here at Lehigh University, we do not assign a numeric value to essays. The application reviewal process relies heavily on holistic review, considering every aspect of the students application. The essay is an opportunity for students to give the admissions representative some other perspective about who they are outside of their other application materials.
- As an admissions representative, I value authenticity, reflection, and clarity in an applicant’s essay. The essay should offer genuine insight into the applicant’s personality, experiences and motivations, going beyond what’s already mentioned in other parts of the application. I look for thoughtful reflection, where the student not only shares a story, but also conveys how it has shaped their perspective or goals. Clear, concise writing that effectively communicates ideas is also essential, as it demonstrates the applicant’s ability to articulate thoughts in a compelling way.
- No! Students work very hard on their essays, getting feedback from teachers, guidance counselors, family-members, etc… Highly polished essays are never discouraged. Suspicion arises when the writing style between different components of the essay do not match.
- Clear, concise writing that effectively communicates ideas is also essential, as it demonstrates the applicant’s ability to articulate thoughts in a compelling way. An essay that doesn’t have a natural flow may give off the impression that the student may be in a different place academically and unable to articulate thoughts well.
- Every reviewer is different, due to the holistic nature of Lehigh’s review process. We are not English teachers, but we expect the essay to have no grammatical or spelling errors. I assess intellectual depth through the applicant’s ability to engage critically with complex ideas, reflect on learning experiences and connect personal insights to broader themes or issues. Essays that demonstrate curiosity, nuanced thinking and a willingness to explore challenging concepts or questions are strong indicators of intellectual depth.
- Linking your extracurricular activities to your personal essay is one of many ways you can navigate your personal essay. I feel it is important to stay away from ‘resume writing’ where you start to list out your activities and accomplishments all over again in your essay, but if there is something in your activities that is a true part of your identity, or an activity you’re really passionate about, feel free to develop that passion and importance through your personal essay.
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Hi @Study_s! Thank you for joining tonight. To answer your first question: if you feel this is a topic that makes you YOU, and you want to be able to share these thoughts, I think that is a great choice. Allowing yourself to take a deeper dive into why you might’ve felt that way, and what led to that change would be a good transition into talking about why those feelings & that process are so important to you!
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Hi again, @Study_s! Linking your extracurricular activities to your personal essay is one of many ways you can navigate your personal essay. I feel it is important to stay away from ‘resume writing’ where you start to list out your activities and accomplishments all over again in your essay, but if there is something in your activities that is a true part of your identity, or an activity you’re really passionate about, feel free to develop that passion and importance through your personal essay.
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Hello @BKSquared & @cinnamon1212! You both seem to be on the same page with your questions tonight - I love it!
We will take as much time as we need to read the Common App essay. We feel that since the student put the time and the effort into composing the essay, the essay deserves its due diligence in having the entire essay read. Some essays will take longer than others, but we will make sure to read every word of the personal essay!
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@BKSquared & @cinnamon1212 - there are a few different factors that we will consider when reading essays. Grammar and punctuation are important, but we also want to make sure there is good substance to a response. Having a good balance of writing skills and substance is important because those are skills or items that will help the student academically and personally in the long run.
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@BKSquared & @cinnamon1212 - this is VERY important! Common Application gives you seven different prompts to choose from, so you want to make sure you connect best with the one you choose. Sometimes it may be easier to start writing about a topic you are passionate about, and THEN matching up your essay to the prompt. The last prompt that Common Application allows you to choose from is choosing a topic of your choice to write about, so if you don’t feel your essay matches with any of the other prompts, that is a good prompt to connect with.
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Hi there, @AustenNut!
Great question! There are many ways to incorporate life events into your application. One option is to address the challenging situation in the additional information section. This allows you to share important context without dedicating your main essay to it. If you prefer to focus your essay on something else, this section can help provide clarity and demonstrate your resilience and growth without overshadowing other aspects of your application. Many students do still opt to write about experiences in their essays and I think the most important thing to hit on is growth from your situation and the perspective it helped you gain.
Even if your extracurriculars or interests aren’t unique, your perspective on them can be. Focus on what these activities mean to you, how they’ve influenced your growth, and any personal insights you’ve gained. Sharing your authentic voice, reflecting on challenges or successes, and connecting your experiences to your goals can make your essay stand out by showcasing your individuality and depth of character.
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@traceymoat, a good resource for finding specific examples of essays on shaping experiences is The College Essay Guy website. It offers essay examples, guides, and tips from students who’ve written on similar prompts. Additionally, websites like Niche provide sample essays and advice that can help your senior understand how to effectively approach and structure this type of essay. Another great resource is guidance counselors!
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We are now at time so we’ll be wrapping up this session. THANK YOU @JennaLehighU and @KatyLehighU for sharing such great tips and for answering our questions.
Incoming HS Seniors, if you have not done so yet, make sure to register for our CC Bootcamp!
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Thank you for having us! Good luck with application season everyone!
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Thank you to @CC_Sorin & College Confidential for hosting this amazing session! To all of our students out there - best of luck during your college search process! If you ever have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out 
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Thank you so much for all your helpful advice!
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