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Background, identity, interest or talent
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.
0 of 650 words
I have nothing interesting to write about
Each prompt page gives the questions Common App's own guide suggests, so you can find one real moment to tell.
My essay sounds generic, not like me
The check looks for one real moment and for what it shows about you that the rest of your application does not.
Nobody can read my drafts in time
The free check reads your draft against your prompt in seconds, and a full read marks the words to cut and what is missing.
Check one paragraph free
Paste one paragraph from any college essay. It is read for a specific detail, what it shows about you, and one clear point, quoting your own words.
The seven prompts for 2026–2027
Full feedback, every draft
- US$49Your Common App personal essay
- US$129Plus every supplemental essay, for any college
- US$179Plus the UC questions, your activities list and a check for stories you repeat
Common App Essay Feedback
US$49 once. No sales tax is added.
Introductory price US$49 until 31 December, then US$79.
Feedback on your Common App personal essay, every draft, for 12 months.
- Each draft read against your prompt and what readers look for
- Your own sentences quoted: what works, what to cut, what is missing
- Questions that help you find your own story
- Up to 10 reads a day, each compared with your last
- We never write a word of it for you
Access for 12 months, until 6 November 2027. If the feedback is not useful to you, ask for a full refund within 14 days of paying, for any reason. It does not promise any offer or admission.
By paying you agree to our Terms and get access straight away, which ends your 14-day cancellation right. Your full refund within 14 days, for any reason, still applies.All Your College Essays
US$129 once. No sales tax is added.
Introductory price US$129 until 31 December, then US$199.
Your personal essay and every supplemental essay, for any college, for 12 months.
- Everything in Common App Essay Feedback
- Any college's supplemental prompt: paste it with its word limit
- Why-us answers checked for specifics only you could write
- We never write a word of it for you
Access for 12 months, until 6 November 2027. If the feedback is not useful to you, ask for a full refund within 14 days of paying, for any reason. It does not promise any offer or admission.
By paying you agree to our Terms and get access straight away, which ends your 14-day cancellation right. Your full refund within 14 days, for any reason, still applies.College Application Suite
US$179 once. No sales tax is added.
Introductory price US$179 until 31 December, then US$299.
Every essay in your application, plus the UC questions and your activities list, for 12 months.
- Everything in All Your College Essays: the personal essay and every supplement
- The University of California personal insight questions, all four answers
- Your activities list: each description read for what you did and what came of it
- A check across all your essays for stories and lines you repeat
- Every draft compared with your last
- We never write a word of it for you
Access for 12 months, until 6 November 2027. If the feedback is not useful to you, ask for a full refund within 14 days of paying, for any reason. It does not promise any offer or admission.
By paying you agree to our Terms and get access straight away, which ends your 14-day cancellation right. Your full refund within 14 days, for any reason, still applies.Get a reminder in December
Questions
What are the Common App essay prompts for 2026–2027?
The same seven as last year: background, identity, interest or talent; a challenge, setback or failure; questioning a belief or idea; gratitude; personal growth; a topic you lose track of time in; and a topic of your choice.
How long is the Common App essay?
Up to 650 words. The application will not accept fewer than 250.
Can I use AI to write my college essay?
Common App's fraud policy counts submitting the substantive content or output of an AI tool as your own work as fraud. That is why we only give feedback and questions, and never write any of it for you.
Is my essay kept private?
The free check runs in your browser: your essay is not sent to us and stays on this device. A full read sends your draft to our AI provider to make the read and saves it to your account, so you can compare drafts.