<p>Warren, my kid is applying to Pitt too and I have the essay info in front of me. it says you can choose one of their topics or select a topic that reflects something about you and your interests. so I would say as long as your common app essay reflects something about you and your interests, that should be fine. thanks for asking this question. I planned to have our kid do a separate essay for Pitt and looked at the materials more closely when I saw your question.</p>