Unfortunately, the days of college applications have come yet again. Seniors everywhere are, or soon will be, crying over college essays and cramming for one last attempt at the SAT. Although senior year may seem like a dark and bottomless pit, there is one speck of light that offers relief: the new and improved Common Application.
The Common Application opened on Aug. 1 to both the excitement and apprehension of high school students all around the world. After completing the extremely long and painful registration process, seniors who had seen the old version noticed a complete renovation in the website’s configuration and formatting.
In the new Common App, essay length is closely restricted with a minimum word count of 250 words and a maximum of 650. In addition, the extracurricular activity short answer section is now eliminated, and has been replaced by an activities section in the registration.
I think what the Common App is trying to tell us is this: quality, not quantity. For many previous seniors who filled out the application, the personal statement received all of the attention, leaving none for the measly 150-word activity essay.
The short statement was often thrown together last minute, sticking out like a sore thumb when compared to its manicured neighbor. Getting rid of the statement altogether not only creates relief but also benefits everyone involved.
The closely monitored word count also reinforces the idea of quality, not quantity. Before the changes, seniors would slave over perfecting thousand-plus word essays when there was no official word cap. Restricting the length of an applicant’s essay encourages seniors to submit concise but skillful essays. These restrictions don’t limit applicants’ creative freedom, but merely push for more succinct pieces.
The most shocking change for most seniors was the elimination of the “topic of your choice” prompt, and the introduction of five new prompts to choose from. Before anyone starts whining about not being able to write about a favorite topic, it pays to closely at the each of the prompts.
Practically any event or idea can be encompassed in one of the five topics, not to mention that the first prompt reads this: “Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.”
This is essentially a rephrasing of the free-choice prompt, leaving the door completely open to any important story that needs to be told. The new prompts provide guidance and loose boundaries for writers, but still allow for flexibility.
Although at first glance the Common App’s new changes may seem limiting, the revisions simply encourage applicants to create pithier essays with a clearer focus and to hone adept writing skills crucial to school life and beyond.