Saturday, September 7, 2013


As I was looking at the Common Application essay questions, I found one of the question options very difficult to answer. The question asked, "Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family." This question is difficult to answer because I don't consider myself an adult or a child. This question neglects to consider adolescence. I'm not yet an adult because I still live in my parents' house and depend on my parents for many things. I'm also not a child because I am accountable for my own decisions and have responsibilities. Not one event can change someone from a child into an adult. This transition is a process.  I think the question should rather ask about an accomplishment that made an impact in your transition but wasn't your transition. 
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4 comments:

Amy Clement said...

I definitely agree with you, but I would actually go a step father and say that ALL the prompts on the new common app right now are now are extremely hard to answer. I think that the new essay prompts on the common app are very narrow minded and do more to stifle creativity than to allow the colleges to get to know future applicants. The essay the asks students to relay a story about "a time when they failed" will result in so many depressing and formulaic answers, instead of those revealing the personality and character than the writer. To me, the essay only says, "tell me some negative qualities about yourself." The option that allowed the student's choice of essay allowed their creativity and personality to shine through has been taken out. The new choices that will stifle creativity, and, therefore, stifle their ability to show the colleges who they are and instead will show colleges a false version of themselves. Just as the essays are four distinct categories, the essays will help to divide students into stereotypes, not allowing the colleges to see their real self.

September 7, 2013 at 11:04 PM
Brooke M. Hathaway said...

I completely agree. I can't imagine a single event in anyone's life that suddenly transformed them into an adult. And personally, I don't know many 18 year olds who consider themselves adults- including myself.
I completely agree with you, Amy, as well. When I was visiting colleges all of the college counselors went on and on about the unique essays they've read that really made the applicants stand out from the rest. At American University the counselor told me about an applicant who had compared himself to a toothbrush. According to her, it was the most unique and witty essay she has read. The current Common App questions don't allow for that kind of creativity. I'm considering writing about my transition from Kehoe-France to STM. However, I know I'll be one of the thousands of applicants writing about the very same transition from middle to high school.

September 8, 2013 at 1:00 PM
Kincy GIbson said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
September 12, 2013 at 5:03 PM
Kincy GIbson said...

I chose that topic to write on also. I defined my definition of an adult, while still admitting that I wasn't one. I too found these questions very difficult to answer. I know most sources say that the broader the question is, the more difficult the question is to answer. But I disagree because it allows for more creativity. On the Common App handout Mrs. King gave us, it specifically said, "do not write about how some service project that you created changed you". I plan to write on this topic exactly. I feel like we are being pulled in so many different directions that you have to go against some advice, but originality is definitely a common theme.

September 12, 2013 at 5:04 PM

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