Common App Essay Update
If there is one thing the pandemic has taught nearly everyone, it’s that there is room in your life to focus on other people. Be outward focused. Get groceries for your elderly neighbor. Self-isolate if you’re feeling sick. Be nice and say kind things to others. Reflect on what you can positively do for other people and be thankful for what others do for you.
Common App has certainly taken this into consideration when creating a new essay prompt.
“Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?”
They retired the seldom used option about solving a problem.
Here’s what Common App President & CEO Jenny Rickard has to say, “Particularly at this challenging time, we can help students think about something positive and heartfelt in their lives,” she explains. “And we can do it explicitly.”
Below is the full set of essay prompts for 2021-2022.
- Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
- The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
- Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
- Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
- Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
- Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
- Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.
If you have “extra” time in the summer or on the weekends, take a look at the essay prompts and start thinking of your response. Once you’ve thought about it, quickly jot your thoughts down. From there, take a few more minutes to mindfully construct a paragraph. Once it’s time to sit down and write your essay, you will already have a good portion of the essay already written. After that, it’s only a matter of fine tuning before you have a beautifully written essay.
If you need help crafting a well written essay, our college experts are here to help. Learn more about college essay writing here.
ACT Releases National Test Dates for 2021-2022
If you’re thinking about taking the ACT this fall or really planning ahead and looking at next spring, preparing for the test just got easier for you. ACT.org just released their National Test Dates for the rest of 2021 and onto 2022. Keep in mind, students will have a registration deadline and photo upload deadline for each test date.
One thing to think about when looking at each ACT test date is your schedule. Is the test date you’ve chosen cohesive with your classes, homework load, extra-curricular activities, job, sports schedule, etc.? If it’s going to be a big struggle to fit in the ACT this semester, then take a look at another date and see if you are able to lighten your load before then.
Below, we’ve put together a chart for students to easily reference the dates and start preparing for their chosen ACT date.
Get Smarter Prep is always available to help students prepare for the ACT, whether that means taking our ACT Prep Course, Semi-Private Tutoring or one-on-one Private Tutoring. If you have no clue as to what you would actually score on a real ACT, we offer Free Practice Tests every Saturday morning. You can sign up for a Practice Test Here.
Get Smarter Prep Partners with The Future Of Us
Get Smarter Prep is pleased to announce a partnership with The Future of Us, a local non-profit that provides character-based scholarships to high school students from underfunded and under-acknowledged communities.
Starting in 2021, Get Smarter Prep will provide up to seven scholarships to well-deserving students for either one of our ACT courses, if applicable, or One-on-One Private Tutoring. The Future of Us will choose a student who they deem will benefit the most from receiving ACT prep.
Get Smarter Prep and The Future of US are both passionate about helping Kanas City metro students achieve their dreams by supporting them through ACT prep.
“We are so excited to team up with The Future of Us and help local students reach their ACT goals. The ACT is one test, that without help from a tutor, can quickly become overwhelming and take up a lot time,” said Marketing Director Jill Purcell. “We have numerous strategies to make the test manageable and help beat test anxiety.”
The purpose of extending ACT preparation is to provide local high school students, who would not otherwise have the chance to complete ACT prep, the opportunity to reach their own goals and attend college and/or receive scholarships to make college more affordable.
About The Future of Us
The Future Of Us was founded in Kansas City, Missouri by three Ruskin High School graduates. Each of whom went on to graduate college where they identified a disparity in the amount of collegiate opportunities and support for students from more affluent communities than their own.
The Future of Us wants to strengthen the financial and structural support network in communities lacking collegiate influence. They invest in students by offering finances, time, guidance, leadership, support and encouragement for their academic goals. For more information, please visit their website.