A Sneak Peek at the 2009-10 Common Application

A Sneak Peek at the New Essay Prompts and Queries

The newest Common Application goes live on July 1. If your child thinks that’s a significant date only for over-achievers and obsessive compulsive types, tell him to think again. By fall, the regular whirl of essays, midterms and other college apps will have reached crisis proportions. Encourage him to at least take a look at the Common App and rough out some essay ideas this summer, when things are calm.

The Common App consists of 15 pages, but don't worry. Five pages are for the applicants, the rest are teacher evaluation and final transcript forms. Music, drama and art programs typically require supplementary applications, and many private universities do so as well, so make sure your child reads the fine print on the admissions site for every college he is interested in. The Common App merely gets the basics down. Here’s how it’s broken out and what differences lurk in the 2009-2010 edition.

Basic Stats

There are few differences from previous years on the first several pages. Pages 1-2 ask your child to type in answers to some basic family background questions. Input data on SAT or ACT exams on page 3, and honors classes and extra-curricular activities, including estimates of hours per week, on page 4, along with information on any jobs held.

The Essays

Page 5 is where the real nitty gritty begins, with a choice of six possible topics for an essay of 250 words or more. The 2009-10 essay topics ask your child to consider and discuss:

• A major personal experience, achievement, risk or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on him.
• An issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to him.
• An individual who has deeply impacted him and why.
• A fictional character, historical personage, or creative work that has profoundly influenced him and why.
• Colleges look for a wide range of academic interests, personal perspectives and life experiences. What personal experience best illustrates the diversity he will bring to the university community?
• Or a topic of his choice.

New This Year

Your child must sign an affidavit stating that he has reviewed the requirements of the colleges to which he is applying, that he understands that his acceptance depends on maintaining the academic standards presented on his application, and that accepting college acceptances from multiple colleges and submitting multiple deposits jeopardizes his acceptance at any and all schools. Any disciplinary actions from his high school must be reported and a letter explaining the lessons learned must be attached.